


Hold My Hand

by CelesteFitzgerald



Series: JJbek Week 2017 [5]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, JJbekweek, M/M, can be pre-relationship if you want, jjbekweek2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-23
Updated: 2017-08-23
Packaged: 2018-12-18 22:48:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11884476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CelesteFitzgerald/pseuds/CelesteFitzgerald
Summary: “You’re sure you want to do this?”"Yes.”“It’s going to hurt.”“The King can handle anything.”“…Have you actually thought this through?”“Otabek, relax, of course I have. You need to stop worrying.”“At least one of us needs to be concerned about your safety.”“It’s just a tattoo, it’s not gonna kill me.”“I know, I know.”-JJ gets his first tattoo, and Otabek is there for moral support.





	Hold My Hand

**Author's Note:**

> JJBekWeek 2017 Day 5—Prompt: Tattoos
> 
> They’re just really close friends in this fic, but if you want to read it as pre-relationship you totally can.

“You’re sure you want to do this?”

“Yes.”

“It’s going to hurt.”

“The King can handle anything.”

“…Have you actually thought this through?”

“Otabek, relax, of course I have. You need to stop worrying.”

“At least one of us needs to be concerned about your safety.”

“It’s just a tattoo, it’s not gonna kill me.”

“I know, I know.”

After a few more paces, they finally arrived in front of the tattoo parlor. Otabek had been trying to talk JJ out of it for days to no avail. It wasn’t that he had anything against tattoos; he actually liked them a lot. He was just worried that JJ was overestimating his own pain tolerance—and getting his own initials tattooed on his back was very self-centered, even for JJ. But there was no way Otabek was going to let his rink mate do this without a friend by his side.

Before long, they were in one of the back rooms with the woman who’d be sticking JJ’s back with a needle hundreds of times. Otabek was impressed that JJ was keeping his cool so well. JJ showed her the detailed sketch he’d made. When she warned him that the lower back was a slightly more painful location for a tattoo than other common places, Otabek finally saw a flicker of doubt cross JJ’s face.

The tattoo artist asked JJ to remove his shirt. He made a big show of taking it off and winked at Otabek. Otabek just rolled his eyes.

JJ lay on his stomach, hands drumming on the edge of the table as she prepared. She gave him the warning when she was about to start.

Then the needles went in.

Otabek had never seen the smirk fall from JJ’s face so fast.

“Oh. That’s, um, a bit more painful than I expected,” JJ forced a laugh.

“Try to relax,” the artist said. “If you have less tension it won’t hurt as much.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I’m relaxed,” he said through gritted teeth.

Otabek wished he wasn’t there. He didn’t like seeing JJ in pain like this. “JJ, you’re doing great. Just think about how awesome it’ll look when it’s done.”

“All you’ve—ahh!—been telling me for the past three days is how stupid this w-AS!” JJ clenched and unclenched his fists, trying to distract himself.

Otabek jumped halfway out of his chair at JJ’s yelps of pain. “JJ!”

“I’m. Fine,” he insisted. He winced again, and started blinking his eyes rapidly.

“Are you…crying?”

“Shut up,” he whispered. “Don’t laugh.”

“I’m not laughing. I was hoping I’d be wrong, that this wouldn’t hurt you. I don’t like being right.”

A few tears started rolling down JJ’s cheeks. Otabek used his thumb to wipe them off. As he started pulling back, JJ grabbed at his wrist. He mumbled something.

“What?”

JJ looked down. “Hold my hand….Please?”

Otabek gave JJ his hand, then immediately gasped at how tight JJ’s grip was. “Are you trying to break my bones?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, are YOU the one with a bunch of NEEDLES sticking into your back a couple times a second?”

Otabek sighed. “I’m sorry.” JJ only squeezed tighter in response. Otabek ran his thumb in circles on the back of JJ’s hand, hoping to sooth him at least a little. JJ just shook his head and groaned again.

He pulled Otabek’s hand toward him and stuck their clasped hands under his cheek as a pillow. Otabek couldn’t help but laugh at how endearing it was. He gently ruffled JJ’s hair.

“Can you make it stop?”

“Soon.” The tattoo was coming along nicely and would be done soon.

Otabek started quietly humming a pop song to himself, hoping it would distract JJ from the pain. Soon enough, he felt JJ’s finger tapping his hand to the beat and saw his lips move as he tried to sing along.

He looked up and saw the tattoo artist smiling at him. “It’s sweet of you to keep your boyfriend company.”

“Oh, we’re not dating.” She wasn’t the first to think that they were a couple. They had grown very close during the time they had been training together, but neither had made any indication that they were interested in something more. If JJ brought it up, Otabek wouldn’t necessarily be opposed to the idea, but he was more than content with the way things were.

“Yeah, I’m way out of his league—OW!” Otabek had squeezed JJ’s hand back at that comment. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Oh, I thought the pain in your hand would distract you from the pain in your back.” JJ glared at him.

“Honestly,” added the artist, “it’s not a terrible idea.” JJ narrowed his eyes more. “Just a little bit more…and…you, sir, have a finished tattoo.”

“Oh, thank goodness. How’s it look?”

Otabek looked at the tattoo. He had to admit, it looked good. “I’d give you thumbs-up if my hand wasn’t currently squished.”

“You’ve got two hands, don’t you?”

“Not sure. I think this one might be broken beyond repair.”

“Ha-ha, hilarious,” he said as he let go of Otabek’s hand. Otabek flexed his fingers, and they cracked loudly. JJ grimaced. “Oh shoot, sorry.”

Otabek sighed. “It’s fine.”

The tattoo artist held up a mirror for JJ to see the new addition to his skin, and gave him some care instructions. They both thanked her repeatedly, and then they were back on the street heading home.

“So,” Otabek said, “it was a bit more painful than you thought, huh?”

“…I’m gonna get another one.”

“…What? JJ, no—”

“And you’ll come with me again, right?”

“…Who needs hands, anyway?”

**Author's Note:**

> I’m proud of myself for keeping up with every day of JJBek Week so far. Today’s fic was a bit of a recovery fic for me after my first attempt at writing smut yesterday. I did not enjoy it so much, so today is just lots of innocent cuteness that was way more fun for me to write. I’ll just let everyone else handle the smut writing, and I’ll stick to the fluffy side of things. I’m much happier that way :)


End file.
